Oreskaband--Japanese Pop-Punk/Ska at its Finest

This little disc just landed at the New Times office today--straight from Osaka, Japan and it's already got a few of us dancing. Of course, it's past 6pm and those of us still here are minutes away from cracking beers and laughing the night away so we might as well have good music to aid the process. Entitled WAO--the new disc from recent high school graduates Oreskaband is full of pomp, pride, and horn-filled party time ska. It's adventurous for a group of 17 and 18-year-olds in Osaka to start aping the sounds of Southern California, but damn if they aren't good at it. Stand-out songs include "Knife and Fork," "20 Tips" and "MONKEY MAN (MONKEY monkey MAN)" but all 13 tracks on this disc have a sensible appeal that's ready for summertime backyard bbq's and hipster kids eager to ride the next wave of coolness. Frankly, the six girls in Oreskaband look like ahead-of-the-curve J-hipsters smart enough to start flipping pop-punk and ska to their own audible tastes. Who knew you'd have to actually cross the Pacific to hear ska make a comeback. Check out the clip below for more evidence. --Jonathan Cunningham

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